Focus on your wants and needs before beginning your home search.
It’s like you blinked and 2007 blew right by you. Some people suggest that when time starts going faster it’s a sign of getting on in years. I prefer to think of it as a sign of increased wisdom, knowledge and experience — there’s your silver lining! As those holiday gifts get stored away many of us resolve to making resolutions for the new year. Here’s a look at a few good and common ones and how you might extend them to your real estate endeavors this year.
Spend more time with loved ones — indeed spending more time with those that are most important to you is a worthwhile resolution for just about everyone. If you’re looking at purchasing a new home or condo in 2008 you’d do yourself a favour by spending more time preparing yourself for such a significant purchase. If you’re planning on spending more time with your loved ones a little advance planning might be in order. Similar diligent planning should be a focus if you’re planning on making that real estate purchase this new year. You’d be surprised how much easier you can make the process for yourself.
Getting a promotion or making more money — I think just about every one of us would love to have a little extra cash to play with in 2008. And if you are planning on dabbling in the real estate market this year your finances, again, should be first and foremost on your mind. The first step toward making a smart real estate decision is sorting out your finances and determining exactly how much you can spend, comfortably. There’s no sense in teasing yourself or limiting yourself.
Be a better person. Imagine how much better the world would be if just a few people you met each day were dedicated to being better human beings. Like people, houses can be better or worse to us and a large part of making the best decision for you and your family is understanding the real estate market and knowing which homes have more to offer than meets the eye and which are simply pretty packaging. Do your homework and begin it early. It’s important to have a focus on your wants and needs before you really begin your search.
Take pleasure in the little things in life. Would you believe there are those among us who actually stop to smell the roses, take in a familiar song, or stop to watch a small child laughing? I’m a firm believer that we can have much to look forward to each and every day if we realize that it truly is the little things that count. Remember to parlay this rule into your next real estate purchase as the little things, which most often go unnoticed, will ultimately determine which home is right for you. For instance, I was showing a few homes this past weekend and we had narrowed down a list of 20 to three. We soon realized that one of the three had no access to the backyard unless you went through the house. Indeed sometimes the little things we don’t notice can turn out to be very big and significant happenings. A proper checklist of items, or at the very least taking detailed notes on the little things during showings is virtually essential if you’re going to make the best decision possible for you and your family.
Resolutions for the new year are a wonderful way to motivate yourself toward becoming a better you.
Of course they’re only good to you if they are kept and followed. So whether you’re aiming for a promotion, a more spiritual outlook on life, or simply looking to make a good real estate decision, I wish you all the best fortune this new year!
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For any questions/comments on this article or anything in general please feel free to e-mail Amit at amitp@rogers.com. Amit is a Realtor/Developer with Re/Max.
